<prepare for barrage of comments telling me that I don't know the meaning of the word "cold" until I've spent a winter in Calgary/Winnipeg/Ontario/Siberia/etc.>

So, it looks like we are going to have a referendum plebiscite on whether or not we want the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, BC. I just read this morning that they're promising to make this question clear and concise. HA! Fat chance.

You are so going to Harbin when I'm there. I'm pretty right in saying you weren't too keen on Beijing, right? You'd probably dig Harbin- a lot smaller, and more "down-home". It's like the mid-west of China, with a lot of random Russian influence.

Yeah, honestly, I've never really experience Beijing, only for a couple days on my pre-packaged tour thing I did in high school. When I was in China, I stayed in Harbin and visited my friend in Hangzhou/Shanghai.

I was just looking at the CET program I want to do- I may end up doing it in Beijing and not Harbin, but I"m definetely going up there to visit. Either way, you should go back. I'm sure your family would be happy if you did.

I really should go. It's one of those things on My Life's To Do List =)

And I'd actually rather not go to see them when I go back because they would put me up at their apartments or pay for my hotel, all meals, admission to museums/parks, all transportation, etc. I know what they make and I couldn't do that.

I'd rather not tell them and then spring a phone call on them when I get there. And I think, deep down, they'd appreciate that a little more.

Kinda sad, but *shrug* what can we do? Image is everything to them, they'll go into debt just to show us that they're well off enough to do stuff like that. It's just bad.

I figured it would be, I mean, you have a one up on anyone who'd want to go to China- you know the language.

Yeah, I know, I always had that problem too. When I was there, I was making 5000 RMB a month, which, is pretty freaking good. My friend Mary would always 'invite' me, and end up paying. I couldn't stand it, because she made 1/5th of what I did! I felt horrible!

Have we forgotten already how stinkin' hot it was last summer? BLEH. I'll take the cold any day. The better to get all warm and snuggly with. I keep turning the heat down because I want to spend the night snuggling with my honey and not throwing the covers off. I do dislike having to scrape my car off and risk slipping on ice, but you win some you lose some, right?

Your house didn't come with a two-car garage? In any case, if you're parking it outside, put flattened cardboard on it. That keeps the frost from building up on the windshield and rear windows. The side windows will have to be scraped... =P

It does have a 2 car garage... we have 1 car in it, and junk in the other half. I think most people need a 2.5 car or 3 car garage for the 2 cars and their stuff, and to have some room to maneuver around the cars. I find it difficult to squeeze around Bill's car to get in the driver's seat. I find that more of a pain than spending a minute scraping my car off while the car warms up.

Good, good idea. This is the first winter I'm driving and have to park outside. You're such a useful gal to have as a friend! (You do know when I'm writing my Chinese essay for my application to CET, you will be helping. Watch out!)

I heard on the radio this morning, that it was due to both cost and that the process was legally binding in some way (and bureaucratic too). Instead, they are going to have a "plebiscite", which apparently is much easier to handle. I've also heard that either the provincial or federal government is threatening to sue the city if they nix the bid (for all the money that has been put forward already).

Funny how Larry is already apologising and it's not even a month ?week? into his term. I like him though, he's trying to be honest and not a politician (yet)

I read a little later today that they're calling it a "plebiscite", not a "referendum". I think this means that it'll just be something like an Opinion Poll...

Presumably because A) they won't have to spend the money on a referendum which is run like an election, but more likely B) if it's not an official referendum, they can fudge the results any way they want and do anything they want.